Chapter 6

Taylan

My heart is racing, my mind is reeling over Kimber's declaration. I have no idea how she knew they had her daughter or what she had planned to do in order to help them but she betrayed me! She wormed her fucking way into my trust circle and then broke it like it meant nothing to her. I hit the interstate and finally chance a look at Destiny. She sits there staring down at her hands as she wrings the hem of my shirt in her grasp. Without thinking too much into it, I reach over and pry one of her hands free before interlocking my fingers with hers. She snaps her wide eyed stare to me.

"You're gonna be okay," I say quietly before turning back to the road. She doesn't pull her hand free or even fight me, she relaxes slightly and sinks back into her chair.

"Where are we going?" I inhale a deep breath at the sound of Kimber's voice. I count to three in my head to try and control the anger simmering beneath the surface at her betrayal. She became someone I could count on and trust in, now she ruined all of that. "Taylan, I had to do it?—"

"You didn't have to do shit!" I roar. "You betrayed me. I fucking trusted you, I brought you into my circle and I never fucking let anyone in, Kimber!"

"She's my daughter! I love you, Tay, and I'm sorry for hurting you but they have my kid and I will do anything I have to in order to get her back." I take a calming breath. I understand her reasoning but it doesn't stop it from stinging like a bitch.

"What was the plan?" I ask her as I turn to meet her gaze in the rearview mirror for a second.

"I got a message three days before Wave's party. They knew my name and everything and sent me a picture of my daughter."

She egged me on to chase Destiny, that's why she made the bet!

At the risk of sounding like an asshole I ask, "How do you know that girl is even your daughter?"

"She has a birthmark in the shape of a star behind her ear, that's how I know she is my daughter." I hang my head trying to fight a war within myself. "They said they would return her safely to me if I could get the information they needed."

"I would never fucking tell you!" Destiny sneers.

"She wasn't talking about you," I mutter. "She thought you would tell me and she would use my friendship with her to her advantage to get the information out of me knowing I trust—trusted her." Destiny stares at me for a second before tearing her hand out of my grasp.

"Were you in on this as well?" I snap my head toward her and glare at the minx.

"Oh yes, of course, dear, I enjoy my face being used as a punching bag and love getting my ass beat. Feel sorry enough for me to offer up that formula yet?" I snark. She narrows her eyes, then crosses her arms over her chest and slumps back into her chair with a huff.

"I'm sorry Tay?—"

"I don't want to hear it, Kimber. Just… shut up and sit here while I process," I snarl. I have no idea where the fuck to go. I don't have a phone or money to stop and buy a phone or even use a fucking pay phone.

"Get off at the next exit," Destiny says.

"Why?" I question.

"My family has a safe house there, we can clean up and use the phone." She rattles off the address.

"Slayer, I'm not from here so I'm gonna need you to be my GPS for a hot minute." I don't have to be looking at her to know she is rolling her eyes. I fight the smirk from breaking free as she directs me where to go. I can tell she's pissed off but I can't do much about that right now, I need to get to this house and call Knox. I also need to figure out who the fuck that guy was and how she knows him. Kimber's treachery was just the tip of the iceberg. We drive for another twenty or so minutes, I'm so fucking lost and have no idea where the fuck I am. When she points to the small home on the left-hand side of the quiet street, I pull into the driveway and disconnect the wires to shut the car off. Destiny leads us around the back of the modest home, and I fight not to snort when she snags the key from beneath a potted plant.

What an original hiding place .

She lets us in and then rushes around the corner to shut the alarm system off. Kimber and I stand in the entryway as she turns the lights on. I spot a landline on the countertop in the kitchen and make a move for it but Destiny snatches it before I can.

"Give me that!"

She stares me down like she wants to gut me where I stand. "Your boss is a country away and can't wait to hear from his favorite dog. My family is an hour away and will be here before Knox can scratch his ass." I cage her in with my arms gripping the counter on either side of her and getting right in her face. She doesn't cower away, if anything she hardens her gaze.

"I'm not one of your father's men that you can bark orders at, Slayer. I work with your family, not for them. Don't push me too hard, baby, because you won't like the feeling of my bite."

She presses in closer until her chest is flush against mine and her full lips ghost over my own. "Keep telling yourself that you're an alpha a few hundred times more and you may just believe it. In my world, I outrank you." In a move so bold that it renders me speechless, she pecks me on the lips, then pain radiates through my entire body when she knees me right in the balls and I crumple to my knees before her shouting in pain. "You ever back me into a corner like that again and I'll rip your fucking cock off." She marches her psycho ass out of the kitchen with the phone as I kneel here gasping for air.

"She seems… nice." I ignore Kimber as I grip the edge of the counter and haul myself to my feet. I make it to the next room ready to go another round with her when she waves the phone in front of me. Not one to be deterred, I close the space between us and wrap my hand around her throat.

"Who the fuck is this?" I freeze and dart my gaze from the phone to her, she smirks and mouths speaker phone . I keep my hand on her throat refusing to lose another round.

"Uncle Bishop, it's me," she answers.

"Destiny, thank fucking God." The relief in his tone is clear. "King, call Gage and tell him she's at Haven Home ." I inch her backward step by step, she doesn't fight me but she does shoot me a warning look that I choose to ignore. "What happened?" She grunts when I slam her against the wall.

"I'll explain everything when I get home." She tries to sound unaffected by my hold on her but fails.

"Are you okay?" Bishop asks just as she tries to knee me again, but this time I'm prepared and smack her leg away.

"Yeah, just tired. How far away is Dad?"

"King, give me an ETA on Gage?" he calls out to his brother as I lean forward and bury my face in the crook of her neck nipping at the soft skin. She gasps, causing me to smile against her skin. "He's forty minutes away. Hang tight kid. Is Taylan with you?"

"Y-yeah, he's here?" A soft whimper escapes her when my lips brush against the shell of her ear.

"You like me don't you," I taunt quietly so only she can hear. I feel her stiffen but before she can say anything Bishop speaks.

"Can you put him on?"

I pull back and rest my forehead against hers loving that she can't do a fucking thing right now with her uncle listening to every word.

"I'm here," I say.

"What was the damage?"

I stare into her gray eyes as I answer. "Russians. They're after the formula her mother uses to transport the drugs. They took Destiny as leverage and were going to use whatever means they could to get her to talk."

"Fuck, I want you back here with her and ready to give me a full debrief," he demands.

I dart my tongue to moisten my lips and in turn, lick hers too. "I don't work for you, Bishop."

"No you don't but you do work for Knox, who is on his way here now. You get the fuck back here with my niece or your boss will be the least of your worries," he orders before the call drops out. A whoosh of air escapes Destiny when I snatch the phone from her grasp and step back.

"Find some clothes, your father won't like the sight of you in my shirt," I throw out as I head back into the kitchen where Kimber stands leaning against the counter with a raised brow. I shoot her a look that I hope conveys fuck off before I step out the back door and call Knox. It rings three times before he answers.

"Taylan?"

I smile. "How'd you know?"

"Thank fuck, are you good?"

Warmth spreads through my chest at my brother's concern. "Yeah, I'm good. Why the fuck are you coming to New York?"

"Because you got kidnapped you stupid fuck!" he shouts.

"Calm the fuck down, dick head, I was just asking."

I can just picture him working his jaw side to side as he tugs on the strands of his hair. "You're a real asshole, you know that, right?"

I chuckle. "Yeah I do. Can you do me a favor and add Wave to this call?"

He hesitates for a second before asking, "Why?"

"Kimber's here and it's not good," I answer truthfully.

"How bad is it?"

I release a long exhale as I scrub a hand down my face and wince in pain. "The Russians that took us have her daughter."

"Fuck! Hang on, I'll add her now." I remain silent and wait for her to answer. Wave still doesn't sleep much so I know she will be awake at this early hour of the morning.

"What?" she says in lieu of a hello.

"Wave, I have Taylan on the line as well, he has something to tell you."

"Tay? You're alive."

"Yeah, Wave, I'm good but Kimber's here."

She's silent for a second before she asks, "Why the fuck is she with you?"

"The Russians that took us blackmailed her, they have her daughter."

"Mother-fucking-cunts!" she snarls. "I'll handle it."

"You need to get to my location now. Gage is nearly here and taking us back to Bishop. If they get their hands on her…" I let my sentence trail off, we all know the Murdochs won't show her any mercy for her betrayal.

"I'm heading there now. I'll send you the address. Meet us there, Wave, but you get Kimber and get the fuck out. We cannot go to war with this family, they are too fucking powerful." I know that hurt Knox's pride to say but he's right, with his wife pregnant with Wave's baby none of us are willing to put her in harm's way. Wave is a blood-thirsty bitch but even she won't go to war and risk the safety of her best friend and child with her guys.

"Text it to me now," she says before she drops out of the call.

"Taylan, make sure Kimber keeps her mouth shut and doesn't utter a word until Wave gets her out."

"Got it," I say then end the call and head back inside to break the news to Kimber. She stands there with a guilty look on her face. I hate that she broke my trust but I hate myself more for understanding why she did it. "We're being taken to the Murdochs, you keep your mouth shut and don't utter a fucking word. Knox and Wave are meeting us there, the moment she gets there you leave with her without an argument, am I clear?" My tone leaves no room for argument.

"You're not going to kill me?" I hear the surprise in her voice.

"No." Her shoulders sag in relief but I'm not done. "We are no longer friends, Kimber." Her mouth opens to argue but I push on. "You broke my trust, you want to earn it back then prove to me you can be loyal. The only reason I didn't kill you is because I know what finding your daughter means to you."

Her eyes turn misty and I begin to think she may cry but to her credit, she doesn't let her tears fall. "I understand."

"Good, now go find some clothes while I try and convince the demon upstairs not to rat you out to her family." She shoots me a look that says, good fucking luck. I have a feeling I'm going to need all the luck I can get to convince this hard-headed minx to keep her trap shut.